Families Worth $110 Billion Boost Dividends Even as Profits Slow

Profits might be down at some of the world’s biggest family-owned companies — but you wouldn’t have guessed it from the dividends they’re paying.

JCB, the excavator maker controlled by British billionaire Anthony Bamford and relatives, distributed a £866 million ($1.2 billion) dividend for 2024, more than doubling their payout from a year earlier. Both net income and revenue at the Caterpillar Inc. rival slumped more than 10%.

At Red Bull GmbH, the Yoovidhya and Mateschitz families behind the energy drinks-maker took in about €648 million ($756 million) each overall, their highest in three years, despite lower annual ...